RiceAdvice digital support

Your Digital Guide to Better Harvests

RiceAdvice is an interactive decision support tool that generates guidelines based on farmers' responses to multiple choice questions about farm conditions, soil management, nutrient inputs, and more. It takes about 10 minutes to complete and can be done by extension agents or farmers themselves. The app identifies optimal types, amounts, and application times for inorganic fertilizers, helping farmers maximize their investments. It also provides agronomic modules to set yield objectives within budget constraints and recommends efficient weed control strategies.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Cost: $$$ 0 USD

for download

ROI: $$$ 100—200 USD

Income increased per hectare

0.6—1.8 ton per hectar

Average grain yield

IP

Open source / open access

Problem

Inefficient Nutrient Management: Farmers often struggle with determining the right amount and type of fertilizer to use, which can lead to suboptimal yields and wasted resources.
Weed Infestation: Weeds can significantly reduce crop yields, but effective weed management strategies are not always readily available or known to farmers.
Unclear Yield Targets and Crop Calendars: Farmers may lack specific, field-tailored advice on target yields and crop calendars, leading to inefficient farming practices.
Climatic Risks: Farmers face challenges in adapting their farming practices to cope with climatic risks, such as droughts or floods.
Lack of Offline Resources: In areas with limited internet connectivity, farmers may lack access to crucial agricultural advice and resources.

Solution

Optimal Nutrient Management: The app provides advice for efficient application of mineral fertilizer to optimize production and profits, and reduce waste.
Weed Management: It includes a tool called “RiceAdvice-WeedManager” that provides guidelines for effective weed management.
Target Yield and Crop Calendar: The app generates guidelines for target yield, nutrient management, and crop calendar based on farmers’ answers to multiple choice questions on farm conditions, crop management practices, and market.
Coping with Climatic Risks: The app helps farmers better cope with climatic risks.
Offline Use: Although an active internet connection is required from time to time to synchronize information with the database server, the app can be largely used without any internet connection. This is particularly useful in areas with limited internet connectivity.

Key points to design your business plan

“RiceAdvice” is a digital application that revolutionizes rice farming by providing field-specific management guidelines. It addresses challenges such as inefficient nutrient management and weed infestation, thereby boosting agricultural productivity and profitability.

To use “RiceAdvice”, you need:

A smartphone to download and install the free app.
Data connectivity to run the app and receive updates.
Information about your farm conditions, crop management practices, and market to input into the app.
Training to ensure effective use of the app.
Resources to implement the advice provided by the app, such as fertilizers and weed management technologies.

The profit realized from implementing this practice can be significant. For instance, farmers using RiceAdvice have reported yield gains between 0.6 - 1.8 tons per hectare, and income gains between $100 - $200 per hectare. Therefore, the return on investment can be substantial, especially when scaled across a large farming operation. However, the exact profit would depend on various factors such as the size of the farm, the current farming practices, and the market conditions. Remember, while the app is free, the costs of smartphones, data, training, and implementing the advice should be considered.

Adults 18 and over: Positive low

The poor: Positive low

Under 18: Positive high

Women: Positive low

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Mali	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Togo	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid	–	–	–	–
Semiarid	–	–	–	–
Subhumid	–		–
Humid	–		–

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

Goal 13: climate action

Access the Application: Download and install the RiceAdvice app from the Google Play Store on your Android smartphone or tablet.
Complete the Questionnaire: Provide information about your farm conditions, practices, planting schedule, available equipment, prevalent weed types, fertilizer availability, and market prices.
Enter Budget and Yield Targets: Input the budget you have for investments and select your desired production level. This helps set yield targets.
Receive Personalized Recommendations: The app will generate tailored recommendations on rice variety, fertilizer plan, and agronomic practices based on the information provided.
Review and Select Preferences: Browse through the recommendations and select the options that best suit your specific circumstances and goals.
Implementation and Monitoring: Apply the recommended practices in your rice cultivation. Monitor the progress and adjust as needed.